Sunday, May 22, 2016

-------------------------------------------------------Rick Kearns and John Catalano will perform at the Midtown Scholar
Bookstore’s Poetry Thursdays, May 26th, featuring words and music, compelling
magic, and... the spirit of Lorca, and Tolstoy as well.

Two volatile dimensions, poetry and music. Rick Kearns will read his flamenco
poetry, and more, while accompanied by the extraordinary John Catalano on
guitar. Both men have performed together at the legendary “flamenco kitchen” and
in other venues and groups for over 10 years.

John Vincent Catalano is an American musician, teacher and performer whose
areas of interest include prepared and improvised music, flamenco, folk, blues,
experimental classical and Gypsy jazz. Catalano is widely sought for
performances, workshops and private music instruction. He posses an
inside-knowledge of the guitar that he acquired from intense and friendly
co-operation with jazz-men, flamencos, and maestros.Rick Kearns is the current Poet Laureate of the capital city of the great
state of Pennsylvania. For many years he edited the poetry journal, Blue Guitar. His verse appears in numerous literary reviews and anthologies, and Kearns, concurrently, works as a journalist, publishing volleys of articles about
indigenous Latin America in "Indian Country Today Media Network".

Harrisburg’s poet-laureate has compiled four verse collections, and Kearns
has been sowing poetic mayhem in the Harrisburg area for almost 30 years.Catalano and Kearns have been working non-stop on a bold lyric adaptation of the
Soviet march song Polyushka Polye, transforming it into “regimentally exacting”
couplets to mark yet another collaboration on a literary/music plane. And it comes together May 26. 7-9pm. This must-see event is part of Poetry Thursdays, since 1999, this
storied poetry series has convened weekly at numerous venues, now (four
years) at the Midtown Scholar, 1302 N. 3rd Street. For more information, (717)
236-1680. Come early, seating is limited.

This event, and promotional activities, arranged and conducted by the Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel. www.almostuptown.com

About Me

I love the axis of logic, and a glass of scotch, and, of course, life was good, growing up on the island of Procida in the Bay of Naples.
Went to many literary shenanigans-- pretty rooms and pretty people, pretty coffee, and cigarettes out of a silver tankard. And, as one might imagine, it was quite difficult to smoke, let alone light, those coffee-soaked cigarettes.
I never cared much for moonlit skies/ Never winked back at fireflies, but now that the stars are in your eyes/ I'm beginning to see the new and compulsory mercurial lightbulbs!